The second-in-command of the littoral combat ship Marinette died late last month after he was found unresponsive aboard the vessel, according to defense and civilian officials.
Cmdr. Jonathan Volkle, 44, was found Oct. 27 and pronounced dead at a nearby hospital in Cleveland, Ohio, according to the Cuyahoga County Coroner’s Office.
The Navy did not announce the command triad member’s death at the time and did not respond to questions regarding the cause of Volkle’s passing on Wednesday.
But a defense official who requested anonymity to speak on the matter said a preliminary probe indicates that Volkle died by suicide.
Cuyahoga officials said Wednesday that a death determination is pending.
“The incident is currently under investigation, and as a matter of policy, the Navy does not comment on ongoing investigations,” Marinette’s parent command, Naval Surface Forces Atlantic, said in a statement.
The Navy is providing chaplain and mental health support to Marinette’s crew, and Cmdr. Janet Brooms has been assigned as the new executive officer, according to SURFLANT.
A married father of two, Volkle was born in Portsmouth, New Hampshire,
He was commissioned in 2007 and put on the his current rank in 2022.
Marinette commissioned into the fleet in September but had been stuck in the Great Lakes due to a strike by Canadian St. Lawrence Seaway employees, which prevented the ship from entering the Atlantic Ocean and heading to its homeport in Mayport, Florida, USNI News reported.
SURFLANT officials did not immediately clarify Marinette’s current status Wednesday.
Troops, veterans and family members experiencing suicidal thoughts can call the 24-hour Suicide and Crisis Lifeline at 988 or 1-800-273-8255, text 838255, or visit VeteransCrisisLine.net.
Geoff is the editor of Navy Times, but he still loves writing stories. He covered Iraq and Afghanistan extensively and was a reporter at the Chicago Tribune. He welcomes any and all kinds of tips at geoffz@militarytimes.com.